08032018 SPORTS

SPORTS SECTION E

FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 2018

Bahamas ends up 5th in 4 x 400m relay final

By BRENT STUBBS Senior Sports Reporter bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

T

eam Bahamas was hoping to add at least one more medal to its tally before the 45th Central American and Caribbean Games came to a close in Barranquilla, Colombia.

But in the final of the men’s 4 x 400 metre relay on Thursday night, the quartet of Alonzo Russell, Michael Mathieu, Stephen ‘Dirty’ Newbold and Kendrick Thompson - running out of lane four - could only muster a fifth place finish in a time of three minutes and 07.31 seconds.

Cuba, whose women were successful in winning the 4 x 400m gold, clinched another in the men’s race in 3:03.87, the Dominican Republic got the silver in 3:03.92 and Colombia ended up with the bronze in 3:04.35.

Kaiwan Culmer, the last Bahamian to compete in an individual event, had to settle for sixth place

in the final of the men’s triple jump with a best leap of 16.24 metres or 53-feet, 3 1/2-inches on his fourth attempt. His other series of jumps were 15.84m (51.11 3/4), 16.01m (52-6 1/2), 15.94m (52-3 3/4), 16.10 (52-10) and 16.11m (52-10 1/4).

“The first round, which was the first three jumps, I was very shaky.

I didn’t do or execute the way I was supposed to,” Culmer said. “But I managed to get into the final with the eighth spot and onto the final, I managed to past two people and got into sixth place, so I can’t feel too bad about that.”

Cuba got the gold and silver from Cristian Napoles (17.34m, 56-10 3/4) and Jordan Diaz

(17.29m, 56-8 3/4), while Suriname’s Miguel Van Assen (16.69m, 54-9 1/4) claimed the bronze.

The Bahamas was coming off their first track and field medal on Wednesday when Donald Thomas soared to gold in the men’s high jump with a leap of 2.28 metres or 7-feet, 5 3/4-inches with Jamaal Wilson picking up fifth place with 2.24m (7-4 1/4).

Thomas’ performance pushed the Bahamas’ total of seven medals, inclusive of four gold, two silver and a bronze, to 10th place in the standings. The other six medals came from swimming

SEE PAGE 3

Jonquel Jones on fire

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net JONQUEL Jones has found her shooting stroke and the Connecticut Sun are set to make a late-season push toward the WNBA playoffs.

Jones finished with a gamehigh 21 points, 7-13 from the field including 4-8 from three-point range in just 18 minutes of her Sun’s 92-77 win over the New York Liberty at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, on Wednesday night.

Jones scored seven points during a 12-3 run to help put Connecticut ahead 35-26. The Sun lead grew to 72-60 in the first two minutes of the fourth quarter and New York was still within 76-65 with 4:51 left.

That’s when a pair of threes from Jones and one from Williams contributed to a 12-3 run that made it 88-68 with 1:36 left.

It was the third straight win for the Sun (15-12), who finished 2-1 against the Liberty (7-19) on the season.

“I think we had positive energy coming out for this game, everybody was keeping positive, everybody was trying to talk. I think when we have that type of energy it’s easy for us to come out and turn it around. I think we understand how important defence is and I think when we get out there and we do that, everything just really clicks for us.

“I think when we get out there and we do that on the defensive end it goes a long way,” Jones said to ESPN in the post-game interview. “I work hard and when I come out I just have to trust that process, trust that I put up the shots and put up the time so when I come out I just want to speak less and play more. The standings are close, are tight, we’re a playoff team so anything less is a disappointment so we know it’s a final push and we want to make sure we’re there at the end.”

Since a July 13 game where Jones scored just five points in 14 minutes, Jones has averaged 16.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on 63 per cent shooting from the field and 48 per cent shooting from three-point range.

The Sun will play at home again Sunday, celebrating Breast Health Awareness when they host the Las Vegas Aces at 3pm.

Since the 2016 season, the WNBA implemented changes to playoff seeding and qualification

Grand Bahamian hits late 3s in Sun’s 92-77 victory over Liberty

DEANDRE AYTON AND ‘BUDDY’ HIELD HEADTO-HEAD

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net WHEN the NBA preseason tips off, a matchup of Bahamian players will highlight the schedule right away to announce the 201819 season.

Deandre Ayton and Buddy Hield will have their first head-to-head game in the NBA when Ayton’s Phoenix Suns host Hield’s Sacramento Kings at Talking Stick Resort and Arena in Phoenix, Arizona, on October 1.

The Suns will play a fivegame preseason schedule which tips off with three home games and concludes with two road contests.

Following the game against the Kings, the Suns will face the New Zealand Breakers of Australia’s National Basketball League on Wednesday, October 3 and the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, October 5.

The Suns’ matchup against New Zealand marks the second consecutive year the club has hosted a team from the NBL, defeating the Brisbane Bullets 114-93 during the 2017 preseason.

The road slate is highlighted by a matchup against the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors on Monday, October 8.

For the Kings, they follow the matchup against the Suns with a back-toback set at Los Angeles on Thursday, October 4 and in Seattle versus Golden State on Friday, October 5.

SEE PAGE 4

D’SHAWN KNOWLES, RESHARD MUNROE ON THE RISE

By RENALDO DORSETT Tribune Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

CONNECTICUT Sun centre Jonquel Jones pressures New York Liberty guard Sugar Rodgers, right, during the first half on Wednesday night in Uncasville, Connecticut.

(Sean D Elliot/The Day via AP) procedures as well as the postseason format. Under the new postseason structure, the eight teams with the highest winning percentages regardless of

conference qualify for the playoffs and are seeded based on their record. The Sun are currently ranked No.7 in the playoff standings, one game behind the No.6

Phoenix Mercury, just 0.5 game ahead of the No.8 Dallas Wings and two games ahead of the Aces.

There are seven games left in the WNBA regular season.

Around the world with FIBA basketball referee Wilmore IT has been a busy time this past few weeks for Bahamian FIBA basketball referee Christian Wilmore, who has been on a worldwind tour officiating in four international tournaments.

Wilmore’s latest trip was to Minsk, Belarus, July 21-29 where he officiated at the FIBA Under-17 Women’s Basketball World Cup. That came after he officiated at the FIBA Under-18 Americas Championships 2018 in St Catharines, Canada.

Prior to that, he officiated at the two World Cup Qualifiers between Puerto Rico and Cuba and Colombia versus Brazil. At the end of the month, Wilmore is expected to make a trip to Puerto Rico with

Woods, Page 2

the Bahamas women’s national team for the Centrobasket.

“It’s been a lot of learning, a lot of hard work, but I also got a chance to travel round the world and meet people from all kinds of players from Russia, Ukraine and share customs and cultures,” he said.

“It’s bigger than basketball. It’s been a great experience, but the learning curve is so high, once you start to officiate at the highest level. There’s always things to learn. That is why I love officiating.”

When he got started almost a decade ago, Wilmore said he never

SEE PAGE 4

CHRISTIAN Wilmore (centre) and his international counterparts.

D’SHAWN Knowles and Reshard Munroe advanced within their respective franchises after a stellar season of production at the plate thus far.

After 30 games in the Arizona League, Knowles received his first promotion within the Los Angeles Angels farm system.

Knowles was assigned to the Orem Owlz of the Pioneer League and continued his production from the AZL League in his debut with his new club.

The 17-year old outfielder and No.25 prospect in the Angels organisation went 2-3 and scored two runs in Wednesday’s 20-5 loss to the Idaho Falls Chukars.

Through 30 games in the AZL, Knowles hit .301 with a .385 OBP, .765 OPS with 14 RBI, 19 runs scored, seven stolen bases and one home run.

Knowles began the season with a four-game hitting streak and has posted four multi-hit games this season. He went 2-3, scored three runs against the Cubs, 2-4 against the Diamondbacks, 2-4 with one RBI in the second meeting against the Diamondbacks and hit his lone home run of the season against the Indians.

The Pioneer League operates in the Rocky

SEE PAGE 4

PAGE 2, Friday, August 3, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Poulter leads at 62, with Tiger 4 behind at Firestone

WOODSMICKELSON MATCH SET FOR THANKSGIVING

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Ian Poulter was annoyed upon realising he had never finished better than 13th at Firestone, so he took a step toward doing something about it yesterday with an 8-under 62 and a one-shot lead in the Bridgestone Invitational.

Tiger Woods found himself fighting his swing. He settled for a 66.

Such was the difference of two players with vastly different memories on the stout South course at Firestone.

Woods is an eight-time winner, already a PGA Tour record for most victories on one course. Back at this World Golf Championship for the first time in four years, he made a 50-foot birdie putt and two other long putts to offset some average iron play.

It was his best opening round of the year, and he needed it just to keep pace with everyone else on a soft and vulnerable course that led to 45 players in the 71-man field breaking par. The average score was 68.37, the lowest for the opening round at Firestone since it became a WGC in 1999 and the lowest for the first round of any PGA Tour event this season.

“I didn’t quite hit it as well as I wanted to,” Woods said. “But I fought out a score today, which was good.”

Poulter is playing Firestone for the 14th time, and he came across a sheet showing his yearly results.

At least he hasn’t missed the cut, mainly because there is no cut at these tournaments. He tied for 13th his first year, 10 shots behind.

It never got any better. “Yeah, it fires me up,” Poulter said after saving par from a bunker on his last hole for a bogey-free round.

“It’s frustrating to look at. I actually thought I had a better finish than that, so it really annoyed me. ... I wrote them all down, they were that bad. I was like, ‘Seriously, how can you play a good golf course this many times and not really have a result?’ So not to even finish in the top 10 is pretty poor.”

It’s just a start, but it was a good one.

His 62 matched the lowest firstround score at Firestone, first set

by Adam Scott in 2011, and it was one off the course record for any round.

Rickie Fowler and Kyle Stanley each had a 63, while Jon Rahm, Si Woo Kim and Patrick Cantlay were another shot behind. Seven players were in the group at 65, which included Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Jason Day. Poulter missed a 10-foot putt on No. 8, his second-to-last hole. He was in no mood to quibble.

“If you would have offered me this at the start of the day, I would have snapped your arm for it,” he said. “Yeah, we can be greedy and say I’d love to have holed that putt on 8 to have tied the record. But 8 under par’s a pretty decent round for me around this golf course.”

Woods seems to put together decent scores even when he feels his game is slightly off.

“It’s nice to shoot rounds like I did at the Open and like I did today, put together rounds where I may not feel the best, but I’m able to post a score,” Woods said.

“That’s how you win golf tournaments. You’re not going to have your best all four days, and it’s a matter of that bad day being 2-, 3-under par instead of being 2-, 3-over par. And then everyone has their hot days.”

Woods is coming off a tie for sixth at the British Open, where he had the lead for about 30 minutes in the middle of the final round until he fell back with a double bogey. He took a vacation in Switzerland and showed up at Firestone for nine holes of practice on Wednesday.

But he knows this course as well as anyone.

“I’ve had so many great memories here,” Woods said. “Hopefully, I can have one more.”

This is the final year for the World Golf Championship at Firestone. It moves to Memphis, Tennessee, next year.

McIlroy played in the group ahead of Woods and struggled to

TIGER Woods follows his putt on the 13th hole yesterday during the first round of the Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament at Firestone Country Club.

(AP Photo/David Dermer) get the ball in play over the first half of his round. He figured it out, which he had to on a day like this.

“You can’t find this golf course any easier than we had it today,” McIlroy said. “It’s soft. It’s probably the softest I’ve ever seen it. ...

So you needed to take advantage of the conditions today. It looked like most of the guys have done that, which is good.”

Not all of them.

Jordan Spieth was 3 over through 14 holes until two late birdies allowed him to salvage a 71.

Dustin Johnson, the world’s No. 1 player coming off his third victory this year at the Canadian Open last week, could only manage a 69.

In his first start since winning the British Open, Francesco Molinari had a 70.

AKRON, Ohio (AP) — Phil Mickelson confirmed a report that an exhibition match against Tiger Woods is set for Thanksgiving weekend in Las Vegas.

Those are about all the details he had.

Golf.com reported last month that Woods and Mickelson, who have combined for 19 majors, 122 victories on the PGA Tour and 90 years on earth, were contemplating a winnertake-all $10 million match.

ESPN said it would be at Shadow Creek on Thanksgiving weekend. Woods says he had nothing more to add.

“We haven’t signed anything. Nothing’s confirmed.”

The ESPN report early yesterday did not mention prize money, corporate support or television details.

Woods and Mickelson played a practice round together at the Masters, were in the same group at The Players Championship and played a nine-hole practice round on Wednesday at Firestone. They have the most PGA Tour titles of players from their generation, though they never competed on the back nine with a major championship at stake except for the 2001 Masters and 2002 US Open, both won by Woods.

Woods once played the starring role in Monday night exhibitions nearly two decades ago, which were televised by ABC. The first one was dubbed the “Showdown at Sherwood” between Woods and Duval, when they were Nos. 1 and 2 in the world. Woods won and earned $1.1 million, while Duval received $200,000.

They each donated $200,000 to charity, half of it going to The First Tee.

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THE TRIBUNE

Friday, August 3, 2018, PAGE 3

Congrats to the BBFF on bodybuilding medal haul CONGRATULATIONS to the Bahamas Bodybuilding and Fitness Federation. With only 12 athletes in Mexico City for the 45th Central American and Caribbean Games, the Bahamas collected nine medals, including three gold.

That eventually resulted in the Bahamas finishing in second place in the team standings with 169 points. They trailed host Mexico, who had 532 points and was ahead of Puerto Rico, who came in third with 148.

It only shows the level of participation the Bahamas is at and what can be accomplished for the 242 as it appears that every competition the success continues to pour in.

While we highlight the performances of Paul ‘Mighty Mouse’ Wilson, Wellington Wallace and Raynor Ferguson in ascending to the top of the podium, the other members of the team, including silver medallists Rashield Edgecombe and James Bain as well as Jeremy Misiewicz, Lyndsay Curry and Shakira Ferguson, the bronze medallists.

And even though they didn’t get a gold, silver or bronze, Gemo Smith and Tashara Seymour, both of whom finished in the top 10, along with Alberto Armbrister, should all be credited for assisting in the team’s overall accomplishment.

Federation president Joel Stubbs best summed it up when he said it “was really, really beyond measure, an awesome performance. It was really great to see Team Bahamas performing out there this weekend in Mexico City.”

But team manager Leonard ‘Nardo’ Dean said it was quite disappointing that on their arrival home, there were no dignitaries on hand at the

Lynden Pindling International Airport to greet them.

It’s a cry for so many teams and athletes who have sacrificed themselves to perform at their best to secure victories and medals for the Bahamas, yet to come home and it seems as if their efforts were not appreciated.

There was a time when no matter what the accomplishment was, when teams returned home, they were greeted by the dignitaries, fans and junkanoo music. In most cases, there was a float parade.

But nowadays, it’s as if there isn’t much recognition for performances, especially when there are medals won. We have to find a way to show our athletes that their performances were not in vain or just for their personal gratification, but for the edification of a grateful nation.

Gardiner finally cleared The Bahamas Association of Athletic Associations, in a press release this week, revealed that quarter-miler Steven Gardiner has been cleared of any wrong doing from the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, England.

Apparently, the BAAA had convened a tribunal to investigate why Gardiner refused to run in the heats of the men’s 4 x 400m relay after he was asked to do so by head coach Dianne Woodside-Johnson.

In the heats, the team of Alonzo Russell, Michael Mathieu, Ojay Ferguson and Ramon Miller failed to advance to the final after getting seventh for 11th overall.

In his defence, Gardiner had indicated that he was prepared to run in the final if the team had qualified. Gardiner was still recuperating from his silver medal performance in the final

PAUL ‘Mighty Mouse’ Wilson poses Sunday night during the 45th Central American and Caribbean Bodybuilding and Fitness Championships in Mexico City. and an impressive national record-breaking feat in the semi-final. Having interviewed Gardiner prior to the start of the competition in London, he indicated that he would be ready for relay duties, but his primary focus was on the men’s 400m.

I still maintain that if there were five guys waiting in the relay pool to run for the first time at the championships, they should have been even more fired up and rearing to go with or without Gardiner.

With Gardiner still under investigation by the tribunal, the same quartet added Stephen Newbold and Teray Smith to the mix and they went on to claim the silver at the Commonwealth Games in April in the Gold Coast, Australia.

So I wonder why there was so much fuss over Gardiner not competing in London and with him not appearing in the Gold Coast, they didn’t have any

problems putting the pieces together and getting on the podium.

I just think that better guidelines must be produced by the Bahamas Olympic Committee and the BAAA for both coaches and athletes to adhere to whenever they are selected to represent the country at the various international meets.

Speedy recovery Jeff I would like to wish Jeff ‘August’ Williams a speedy recovery as he rests comfortably at Doctor’s Hospital.

Williams was transported from Haiti where he was employed by the Bahamas Government.

Williams was one of the founders of the now defunct Bahamas Baseball Federation and he was a regular and popular newspaper columnist who shared his informative picks on the teams during the American Football League’s regular season.

CAC GAMES UPDATE from PAGE 1 where Grand Bahamian Joanna Evans captured three gold and two silver and Albury Higgs picked up the bronze.

The games will close out today, but the Bahamas was done yesterday with action in the women’s tennis for a spot at a bronze and the men’s basketball for a final placing.

Women’s Tennis For the second time, the women’s team fell short of getting on the podium with a medal at the games.

This time, the team of Danielle Thompson and Kerrie Cartwright lost their singles matches in the bronze medal game for the Nation’s Cup competition to Guatemala. Thompson lost 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 to Maria Morales, Cartwright fell 6-0, 6-0 to Andrea Weedon.

As a result of the singles, the two nations didn’t have to play the doubles.

Colombia won the Nation’s Cup gold medal over Mexico.

On Sunday, Thompson and Simone Pratt made it to the bronze medal match of the mixed doubles, but they lost in two sets to Puerto Rico, while Mexico won the gold over Colombia.

The men’s team didn’t advance to the Nation Cup after they lost in the early rounds in singles and doubles.

Men’s Basketball After winning their first and only game in their final match in the round robin, Team Bahamas dropped a 90-76 decision to Mexico to end up in sixth place in the final placing.

The men’s team, coached by Quintin ‘Three Ounce’ Hall, was coming off their 73-68 win over the US Virgin Islands. But against Mexico, they fell behind 26-22 at the end of the first quarter and 49-41 at the half. Mexico went on a 23-19 spurt in the third quarter to extend their lead to 72-60 and they never eased up with their 18-16 advantage in the fourth.

Grand Bahamian Kentwan Smith led two players in double figures for Team Bahamas with 21 points, shooting 7-for-13 from the field, 5-for-8 from the three-point line and 2-for-4 from the free throw line.

He also had 11 rebounds and three assists.

Michael Bain Jr was the only other player in double figures with 12 points, seven assists and five rebounds.

Team Bahamas, which played without Michael Carey Jr and Jackson Jacob, also got nine points and three rebounds from Samuel Hunter, eight points and as many rebounds from Shavanno Cooper, eight points and five rebounds from Mark St Fort and eight points and four rebounds from Tavario Miller. Daejour Adderley chipped in with six points and Eugene Bain had four.

THE

PRESS BOX GHT Y

WITH JABARI Wilmott stands beside the awards and jerseys for the Fox Hill Festival ‘Hooping by the Park’ that starts tonight at Freedom Park, Fox Hill.

NAU

‘HOOPING BY THE PARK’ IN FOX HILL TONIGHT IT was a dream of Jabari Wilmott and Keron Pratt when they went to college in the United States that they would return home to give back to the local community of Fox Hill where they got to hone their basketball skills.

The two have combined their skills to produce the first Hooping by the Park Basketball Tournament on Freedom Park, Fox Hill.

The tournament will kick off 7pm tonight following a brief opening ceremony at 6:30pm with teams in the ladies and the men’s division participating.

On Saturday, the action will pick up at 9am when the under-16 and under-19 competitors will compete.

The men will play again in the evening.

The competition continues 5pm Sunday and will include the slam dunk and three-point shooting competition as well as the playoffs. The finals in all divisions will be contersted on Monday starting at 5pm.

Wilmott, a 24-year-old and 2016 graduate of St John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, and St Augustine’s College (SAC) graduate, expressed sincere appreciation to the press, their strong sponsor, Rubis Bahamas Ltd, MP Shonel Ferguson and the Fox Hill Committee for making this tournament happen.

Also, Wilmott noted that basketball teams will be

SHOWN (l-r) are Rubis’ marketing coordinator O’Neil Bain, tournament director Jabari Wilmott, Fox Hill MP Shonel Ferguson and Fox Hill Festival committee treasurer Clinton Perce. allowed to register on today (Friday, August 3).

Additionally, players must have the proper proof of identification in order to play and compete for the proposed annual basketball championship title and many cash giveaways.

Said Clinton Perce, a strong supporter and a 15-year member of the Fox Hill Festival committee: “It is a privilege to have a sporting event incorporated into the Festivals.

“When Wilmott and Pratt requested to bring basketball back as a part of the festival, we welcomed (the basketball tournament) with open arms,” noted Perce.

He also expressed sincere appreciation to Rubis Bahamas for stepping forward and sponsoring this tournament. O’Neil Bain, marketing programmes

coordinator for Rubis Bahamas Limited, said: “Rubis is proud to be a sponsor and part of the “Hooping-by-the-Park” basketball tournament.

“Rubis is also focused and geared toward engaging youths in positive ventures as this and, is delighted to partner with Wilmott and the Fox Hill 2018 Festival, not only is Rubis elated to be a part of this sporting event, but also in other positive ventures throughout the island and The Bahamas,” Bain added.

While the under-16, under-19 and ladies’ division have a free registration, the men’s division will be charged $200 per team with the teams playing for a cash prize at the end of the tournament. The other teams will be competing for trophies.

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PAGE 4, Friday, August 3, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Around the world with basketball referee Christian Wilmore FROM PAGE 1 envisioned he would have performed at so many international events as he has been afforded so far.

“I dreamt of one day working a World Cup because I always wanted to be the best that I could be,” Wilmore said. “But six years in if someone had told me that I would have worked three World Cups, I would have said impossible.

“I was the first Bahamian to ever go so just to get the first one was big. Then to go again for the third time, it was just like a dream come true. Right now I’m the only English-speaking person in the Caribbean to officiate consistently at the high level year in and year out, so it’s a major privilege and opportunity for me.”

Wilmore, now 24, said he’s looking at advancing to the top tier of officiating where he will perform at the senior men’s World Cup, which is in Tokyo, Japan, next year.

“I might get it as well as I might not, but if not, then I will be shooting for the 2020 Olympic Games,” Wilmore said. “That’s really what I really have my eyes set on, breaking the top tier officiating for the men’s division.”

Having had his performances critiqued, Wilmore said he definitely has to work on his “contact criteria” where you have to “decide on what fouls need to be called. As easy as it may sound to the lay person, it’s a difficult thing.

“When you are refereeing at the top level with the best players in the world, the game is so quick and diverse that you have a split second to determine if that contact is a foul that needs to be called. People who don’t referee may not understand that every contact is not a foul and some fouls don’t need to be called.”

As the game of basketball is an entertaining one,

IT has been a busy time this past few weeks for Bahamian FIBA basketball referee Christian Wilmore, who has been on a worldwind tour officiating in four international tournaments.

Wimore said the referees have a responsibility to avoid as many interruptions as possible, while at the same time maintaining law and order.

“Becoming consistent on a fast-paced game is very difficult and it takes a lot of practice,” he insisted. “So I’m trying my best to work on that.”

As a boy growing up in a man’s game, Wilmore said he’s taken the approach that if he can referee in the Bahamas, he can referee anywhere, just as one can do with their driving.

“So I’m not intimidated,” said the 5-foot, 6-inch referee. “I started refereeing when I spent many of my formative years refereeing in Kemp Road, Englerston, Fox Hill and Pinewood parks in the summer in conditions when the weather

was not conducive for a 14-year-old. “So I think that has prepared me very well to referee in arenas where there is a lot more protection from the police and securities and the guys are professionals. So the chances of me being intimidated is very slight.”

Having said that, Wilmore said he has not been threatened by any players internationally for making the wrong call or not making one at all when they considered it should have been one.

But Wilmore said he clearly remembers in 2016, a fan in Panama when he officiated at the Centrobasket for men, had some choice words for him in the semi-final game between Panama and Mexico.

“I made a call, which was a bang bang play and

when I went over to my new position on the sideline, a fan stood up in his seat,” Wilmore said. “There was a barrier there, but he leaned over it and tried to intimidate me as he spoke in Spanish, so I wasn’t sure what he was saying.

“That was the only time that I can remember someone tried to intimidate me.

But as far as the coaches and players are concerned, I haven’t had that problem.

At the FIBA level, people are really respectful in the sense that if you are wearing a FIBA badge on the court, regardless of how young you are, you must know what you are doing.”

As he so aptly puts it: “first impression is definitely a lasting impression” for me.

When he’s not running up and down the court blowing

his whistle, the 2011 high school graduate is in the classroom at his alma mater at St Augustine’s College where he’s been teaching biology for the past two years after spending a year at St John’s College.

For those Bahamian referees who wish to follow him, Wilmore said he would encourage them to “develop a professional attitude towards officiating and making things culturally that we take for granted.

“The lesson for me from I started officiating is that I tried to take it seriously because a lot of the people whom I officiate with on the international scene are professional referees who have been officiating at the highest level in the sport.

“We have the potential, but it will take more than

that to officiate at the highest level.

“It’s the way we talk and the way we carry ourselves because anyone could call the game. What separates me and the other referees is the professional attitude, the fitness level, the intangibles that we really need to improve.”

Wilmore became the youngest person to officiate at a FIBA World Cup when he participated at the Under-17 FIBA World Cup for Women in the Czech Republic.

Although he has been the pacesetter for the past few years, Wilmore said he envisions seeing other Bahamian referees joining him at the FIBA level.

And he said they just have to be ready when the opportunity presents itself to them.

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The Kings return to the Golden One Center in Sacramento for its preseason home opener versus Maccabi Haifa on Monday, October 8. It will be the third tie in four seasons they are set to face the Israeli powerhouse.

The Kings round out their home exhibition schedule when they host the Utah Jazz Thursday, October 11 and concludes with a matchup against the Portland Trailblazers on Friday, October 12.

Both players were recently at home and took the time to participate in charitable events and summer basketball camps.

Ayton made an appearance at the 31st Jeff Rodgers Basketball camp to interact with scores of enthusiastic campers eager to greet the No.1 overall pick from last June’s NBA Draft.

“I remember being here, I knew nothing about the game then, but I was inspired by guys like Klay Thompson who came to the camp when I sat where you are now,” Ayton said of his basketball journey.

“I had no idea where basketball would take me, but I listened to everyone who was willing to teach me and I was dedicated to the craft.

This camp gave me the first opportunity and I’m grateful for that. I just want you guys to be inspired as well and take advantage of

every opportunity in front of you.”

Ayton was discovered locally at the Jeff Rodgers camp in 2011, before he headed to Balboa City School in San Diego, California.

He eventually transferred to Hillcrest Academy in Phoenix, Arizona.

Buddy Hield was back in Grand Bahama to host the fourth edition of his Summer Basketball Camp.

He hosted the three-day event simultaneously in Freeport and Eight Mile Rock, Grand Bahama.

“It’s a blessing. As I plan the offseason I always plan to put this in my camp schedule. It’s always important to be back home and to give back to the kids and the community. I know what it’s like growing up here so being a role model for these kids, giving them a chance to learn something important, something they can take advantage it’s a priority for me,” Hield said.

“I thank God every day for blessing me, being able to use my platform to show these kids what it takes to get to the next level. Hopefully, I can inspire a few to be the next ambassador of the Bahamas whether it’s in basketball or some other field.”

When the Suns selected Ayton with the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, it represented an historic moment for Ayton, the franchise and The Bahamas.

With Ayton’s selection, The Bahamas joined the

United States, Canada, Nigeria and Australia as the only countries with multiple No 1 overall NBA draft picks.

It also represented the first No 1 pick made by the Suns in franchise history and the first No 1 pick from the University of Arizona.

He was the ninth consecutive college freshman to be selected with the first overall pick.

During his lone season at Arizona, Ayton led the NCAA with 24 double-doubles, a PAC-12 freshman record.

He averaged 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game while shooting 61.6 per cent from the field, and was “Karl Malone Power Forward” of the year consensus First Team All-American.

Ayton was one of only four players in the nation to average the aforementioned double double. He was also Pac-12 Conference Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, All-Defensive Team selection and Most Outstanding Player of the conference tournament.

Ayton is the first player in conference history to win all awards.

Hield finished last season as the Kings second-leading scorer, averaging 13.5 points (.446 field goal percentage, .431 three-point percentage, and 88 three throw percentage), 3.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.06 steals in 25.3 minutes per game. He started just 13 of his 80 appearances in his second season.

BASEBALL PLAYERS KNOWLES, MUNROE ON THE RISE FROM PAGE 1 Mountain region and, in the past, it also operated in adjoining portions of Canada.

It is classified as a rookie league and is staffed with mostly first and second year players.

The Pioneer League is a short-season league operating from June to early September.

Munroe advanced out of the Pioneer League when

he was assigned from the Billings Mustangs to the Dayton Dragons in the Midwest League, Single A. Munroe led the Billings in home runs, triples and was among the team’s top three in nearly every statistical category.

He went 1-4 with one RBI in Tuesday’s 7-2 loss to the Grand Junction Rockies.

Through 28 games, the 22-year-old outfielder is hitting .313 with a .387

OBP, an OPS of .842, slugging .455 with 31 hits, five doubles, three home runs, 45 total bases, 12 RBI and seven stolen bases.

Munroe, 22, joins, Jazz Chisholm of the Kane County Cougars, Chavez Young of the Lansing Lugnuts and Todd Isaacs of the Lake County Captains in the Midwest League.

Chisholm also spent his rookie season in the Pioneer League, then with the Missoula Ospreys.

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, August 3, 2018, PAGE 5

INDIAN cricket captain Virat Kohli follows the ball yesterday after playing a shot during the second day of the first test cricket match between England and India.

(AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

KOHLI MIXES GRIT, BRILLIANCE TO PLAY STARRING ROLE FOR INDIA BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Virat Kohli rode his luck before delivering a batting exhibition in a brilliant innings of 149 to keep India in sight of England on a gripping second day of the first test at Edgbaston yesterday.

The India captain made England pay dearly for dropped catches when on 21 and 51, blazing to his 22nd test century — and first in England — to end a sorry run of scores on English soil. In fact, his total beat the combined scores in his 10 previous innings in England from India’s five-test tour in 2014.

After he was the last man out with about 30 minutes left of the

day, Kohli was given a standing ovation around Edgbaston, with England fans also showing their appreciation of one of cricket’s box-office talents.

Kohli opened his shoulders late in his knock and finished with a total of 22 fours and a six off his penultimate ball as he successfully hogged the strike to demonstrate his excellent game management.

Thanks to Kohli, India was eventually dismissed for 274 — for a first-innings deficit of 13 runs — having been 59-3, 100-5 and 169-7 at various stages.

England, which started the day by adding just two runs to its

overnight 285-9, ended it by closing on 9-1 in its second innings after offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin bowled Alastair Cook for 0, in a virtual repeat of the opener’s first-innings dismissal.

The hosts led by 22 runs with nine second-innings wickets remaining heading into the third day. England swing bowler Sam Curran took three wickets in eight balls before lunch — removing Murali Vijay (20), Lokesh Rahul (4) and Shikhar Dhawan (26) — to reduce India to 59-3 before the tourists were given a testing first hour of the afternoon session against a ball that swung around.

Two more Indian batsmen departed, with Ben Stokes taking the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane (15) and Dinesh Karthik (0) in consecutive overs, but Kohli just about survived.

He was dropped by Dawid Malan at first slip on 21, edged three times short of fielders behind the wicket, then glanced another edge through the right hand of the diving Malan when on 51.

In going past 39, he’d already bettered his top score from the 2014 tour and soon England was on the defensive, spreading the field. Kohli proceeded to dominate the bowling with a variety

of shots to the boundary. As he steadily ran out of partners, Kolhi managed to keep the strike in what proved to be a memorable 225-ball knock before being caught by Stuart Broad off Adil Rashid.

Cook’s dismissal brought about stumps, with Keaton Jennings 5 not out.

England will hope Jos Buttler will be able to bat today after he went to the hospital during the lunch interval for an X-ray on his left middle finger, which he injured while fielding. The X-ray showed there was no break and Buttler recovered sufficiently to return to field.

Murray edges Edmund at Citi Open, Zverev brothers to meet

By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — Andy Murray is showing signs of returning to his old form, right down to the return winner he delivered on the last point of his first victory over a top-20 player in more than a year.

Murray took a more aggressive approach as he works his way back from hip surgery and moved into the third round at the Citi Open by beating No. 4 seed Kyle Edmund 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-4 on Wednesday.

Murray is a three-time major champion and former No. 1 who was sidelined for 11 months because of his right hip. He missed the second half of 2017, had an operation in January, then returned to the tour briefly in June. One of his three matches that month was a loss on a grass court to Edmund, the Australian Open semifinalist who has supplanted Murray as Britain’s highest-ranked man.

When they played last time, Murray, said, “Any time Kyle was dictating the points, I wasn’t tracking enough balls down. I felt a bit slow to the balls. Today, I was able to defend and dig up a few more shots and that made a big difference.”

There is still work to be done by Murray, of course.

He is ranked 832nd, has played only five matches in 12 months, and needed three sets for each of his victories in Washington’s hard-court tuneup for the U.S. Open.

Unlike in his opening match Monday, when he felt he was too defensive, Murray made a point of attacking more against Edmund.

“Regardless of the result, we wanted to at least be dictating more points, trying to use my forehand, be close to the baseline,” he said. “And I think I did that, especially in some of the important moments in the third set.”

He got the measure of Edmund’s serves late, earning two break points at 4-3.

Another arrived at 5-4, thanks to a defensive lob that drew a long overhead from Edmund, followed by a double-fault. That brought match point, and Murray pounded a crosscourt backhand winner off an 83 mph second serve, then let out a loud yell.

Also moving into the third round was No. 1 seed and defending champion Alexander Zverev, and his next matchup is a rare one: On Thursday, he’ll face his older brother, No. 15 seed Mischa. It’s their first meeting in an ATP main-draw match.

“It’s a special day, because not a lot of families can say two brothers played against each other on a such a high level, in one of the biggest tournaments in the world,” said Alexander, who finished off a rain-interrupted 6-2, 6-1 win against Malek Jaziri.

“Obviously, we both want to win. We won’t give each other anything.”

The German siblings, who were taught tennis by their father, paired up Wednesday night as a doubles team until that match was suspended by a storm that washed out play for the day.

Seeded players exiting the draw included No. 5 Nick Kyrgios, who withdrew with a hip injury, along with No. 12 Karen

ANDY Murray gestures during a match against Kyle Edmund yesterday during the Citi Open tennis tournament.

(AP Photo/Nick Wass) Khachanov and No. 14 Jeremy Chardy, who both lost. No. 3 David Goffin beat Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (5); No. 7 Kei Nishikori eliminated Donald Young 6-3, 6-4; No. 9 Denis Shapovalov defeated Daniil Medvedev 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; and No. 10 Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Jared Donaldson 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

No. 2 John Isner’s match against Noah Rubin at night never got started because of the rain.

In the women’s field, reigning U.S. Open champion Sloane Stephens continued her tendency for all-or-nothing showings at tournaments, losing 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 in the second round to 91st-ranked Andrea Petkovic.

Stephens was seeded No. 2 at a tournament she won in 2015 for her first WTA title. Now she’ll want to get her game going in the right direction before she begins the defense of her

first Grand Slam title on August 27. “Hopefully,” Stephens said, “some things connect in the next couple of weeks.”

Her best results this season were a runner-up finish at the French Open and a title at the Miami Open. But take away those tournaments, and the American is 10-11 in 2018, including first-round exits at Wimbledon last month and the Australian Open in January.

GIANTS’ SANDOVAL OUT FOR THE SEASON WITH HAMSTRING TEAR PHOENIX (AP) — San Francisco Giants infielder Pablo Sandoval will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his right hamstring while sliding.

Giants manager Bruce Bochy said yesterday that the 2012 World Series MVP has a significant tear requiring surgery.

Sandoval was injured while sliding into home plate Sunday against San Diego.

The 31-year-old Sandoval was hitting .248 with nine homers and 40 RBIs. He also played first and third base during his second stint with San Francisco.

Sandoval played his first seven seasons with the Giants, then became a free agent and signed a $95 million, five-year contract with Boston after the 2014 season.

He was released by the Red Sox in 2017 and signed with the Giants three days later. San Francisco is paying the $545,000 minimum this year, which is offset against the $18 million Sandoval is owed by Boston.

Against Petkovic, Stephens put only 59 per cent of her first serves in play and she was broken four times.

Stephens’ loss leaves the Citi Open women’s draw without either of its top two seeds; No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki withdrew Tuesday because of a leg injury.

18

19

19 I THE TRIBUNE t 20 21 g 20 21 22 23 20 P 22 23 e 24 25 24 24 E b 25 B 26 26 A 26 27 w FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN £100 CAS 27 P letters in the highlighted squares to reveal FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN £100 CASH read down the Call 0904 161 3700 leave yourp a letters in the highlighted squaresTOtoENTER: reveal the mysteryand word.

CARPE DIEM

PAGE 6, Friday, August 3, 2018

JUDGE PARKER

to 84915. Calls cost £1.50 plus your telephone co

midnight tonight. or send grid containing TO ENTER: Call 0904 161 3700 andatleave your answer andyour details, or textt Coldfield B73 9BT. Entries must be postmac to 84915. Calls cost £1.50 plus your Sutton telephone company’s network access number. ● The winner will be the first random at midnight tonight. or send your grid containing the answer in the shaded sq NEED HELP? Call 0904 161 1609 for 5 extra c Sutton Coldfield B73 9BT. Entries must be postmarked by march 21 at the late number. ● The winner will be the first random correct entry drawn from NAmE NEED HELP? Call 0904 161 1609 for 5 extra clues! Calls cost £1.50 plus

AddrESS

NAmE

PoSTCodE

aCross: 1 F 14 Henna, 15 Gen THE DAILY EXPRESS 30-SECO 26 Rainier, 27 E Today’s answers: Beginner 8; intermedia 4 =Seeking, 5 16 Machinist

AddrESS MARVIN BLONDIE

PoSTCodE

CrossdoU

THE DAILY EXPRESS 30-SECOND CHALLENgE Can you make two common five-letter words from the nine letters given, each letter =only you = can Today’s answers: Beginner =using 8; intermediate 121; once? advanced 476.

– but only if one letter features in both words in the squares on the right.

There’s at least one way to do it, and you have to have the right letter at the crossover – but which one is it?

Can you make two common five-letter See if you can find the answer within words from the nine letters given, our target time. If you need help, ring using each letter only once? youour canclue-line below to find out the crossover letter. solution tomorrow.

CrossdoUBT

– but only if one letter features in both Target times: Average: words in the squares on the right. d e o Q r mins Good: 16 mins HAGAR There’s THE HORRIBLE at least one way to do it,20 and STUCK? CALL FOR A CLUE Excellent: 12 mins you have to have the right letterYesterday’s at the solution: 0901 322 5601 Halve your Target Time! crossover – but which one is it? JeweL, sTeaL *Calls cost 75p plus y (across or down) network a See if you can find the answer within our target time. If you need help, ring our clue-line below to find out the crossover letter. solution tomorrow.

TIGER

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Target times: Average: 20 mins Good: 16 mins Excellent: 12 mins Yesterday’s solution: JeweL, sTeaL (across or down)

CALVIN & HOBBES

d eN o Q ArFs T U w

TarGeT

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so the each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Conceptis Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

*Calls cost 80p per minute plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

Down 1 Poets befuddled by drinks (5) 2 Male singer loses his head - the fool! (3) 3 This island is home for a goddess (4) 4 Unusual goal concerning many (6) 5 Reconciled to having had to give up work (8) 6 Gathering odd garments for wear in bed (5,4) 7 Remains as a student group (7) 11 Strong line taken at a trade exhibition? (4,5) 13 Break one’s nose, perhaps (8) 14 Man goes about desert, wandering (7) 16 Fairly large numbers of marks (6) 19 When established, something to one’s credit (5) 20 Highly placed at work (4) 23 He was against capitalism and mother love (3)

Yesterday’s Cryptic Solution

Yesterday’s Easy Solution

Across: 1 Dressage, 5 Abet, 9 Lathe, 10 Strange, 11 First-aid post, 13 Unsafe, 14 Hearts, 17 Disconsolate, 20 Ignoble, 21 Yeast, 22 Sail, 23 Sturgeon.

Across: 1 Acerbity, 5 Bung,

Down: 1 Dolt, 2 Entries, 3 Seeds of doubt, 4 Gasbag, 6 Bingo, 7 Treatise, 8 Bridge player, 12 Sundries, 15 Retrace, 16 Ascent, 18 Sinai, 19 Stun.

Down: 1 Afar, 2 Epitome,

9 Amiss, 10 Thistle, 11 Down the drain, 13 Averse, 14 Vessel, 17 Steal the show, 20 Crackle, 21 Enter, 22 Eden, 23 Personal.

3 Businesslike, 4 Tetchy, 6 Ultra, 7 Greenfly, 8 Mindlessness, 12 Massacre, 15 Shorten, 16 Thieve, 18 Erase, 19 Oral.

*SP: Spoke – Helpline 0333 202 3390

EASY PUZZLE

Across 1 Rushing madly in great confusion (7) 5 Is classified as military distinctions (5) 8 Possibly eats pills as sweets (9) 9 It’s sticky to chew (3) 10 Separate, if in the way (4) 12 Cheer up when the right man is about (8) 14 Mistakes are a source of mirth in play (6) 15 Strangely remote star (6) 17 Here cars are involved in scientific inquiry (8) 18 A melody recalled in opera (4) 21 Break in the late afternoon (3) 22 A Dickens book shattered this dream (4,5) 24 Cried out for a drink (5) 25 Help to taste the wine (7)

Across

Down

1 Rampart (7)

1 Flower (5)

5 Precipitous (5)

2 To rest (3)

8 Subdue (9)

3 High mountains (4)

9 Impose (3)

4 Fawn (6)

10 Take note of (4) 12 Means of escape (8) 14 Bowman (6) 15 Flippancy (6)

THe aLPH

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Call 0907 181 2585 for today’s Target solution

CRYPTIC PUZZLE

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yesterd

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42 (or more). solution tomorrow.

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NA F o U E T T r

DENNIS THE MENACE

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5 Moral reservations (8) 6 Tense and dangerous (9) 7 Earthenware articles (7)

17 Visit habitually (8)

11 Gangster (9)

18 To spring (4)

13 Adorn (8)

21 Advantage (3)

14 Culpable (2,5)

22 While being conveyed (2,7)

16 Small incomplete part (6)

24 Late (5)

19 Small-minded (5)

25 Central European country (7)

20 Daybreak (4) 23 Ocean (3)

Full solution

0907 181 2558

1

*Calls cost 80p per minute 21 plus your telephone company’s network access charge.

2 22

3 23

●

● Alternatively, f

PLay More Crosswor

THE TRIBUNE

Friday, August 3, 2018, PAGE 7

BONUCCI RETURNS TO JUVENTUS, HIGUAIN AND CALDARA JOIN MILAN MILAN (AP) — Leonardo Bonucci sensationally returned to Juventus from AC Milan yesterday, with Gonzalo Higuain and Mattia Caldara moving the other way.

Bonucci won six Serie A titles in seven years at Juventus but the Italy defender joined Milan last year — in what was the shock of the transfer window — for a fee of more than 40 million euros ($45 million) amid reports of a dressing room spat.

The 31-year-old Bonucci, who has reportedly taken a pay cut to move back to the club, signed a five-year deal. He was jeered by some Juventus fans on his arrival at the club’s headquarters yesterday. “It’s an emotional day,” Bonucci said.

“Turin is my home and Juventus is my home and I’m happy to be back.”

Bonucci was given the captain’s armband at Milan but struggled initially and only returned to somewhere near his best in the second part of the season.

He celebrated wildly after scoring at Juventus in his first match against his former team, having been booed non-stop by the home supporters.

Milan finished sixth in Serie A last season, 31 points behind champion Juventus.

Juventus said in a statement that Bonucci and Caldara are direct swaps with each player being valued at 35 million euros ($41 million).

Caldara signed a fiveyear deal at Milan.

The 24-year-old Caldara is set to form a partnership with Alessio Romagnoli, with the duo widely viewed as two of Italian football’s finest young defenders.

Caldara burst onto the scene two seasons ago with seven goals for Atalanta.

That persuaded Juventus to sign him in January 2017, but the Bianconeri loaned him back to Atalanta until this June.

The 23-year-old Romagnoli is expected to take over the captain’s armband from Bonucci.

LEONARDO Bonucci celebrates after scoring a goal in a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Genoa. (AP) Higuain is the only player who has moved initially on loan, with Milan paying 18 million euros ($21 million) for the services of the 30-year-old Argentina forward for next season. The

Rossoneri have the right to buy Higuain for 36 million euros ($42 million) at the end of the campaign.

Juventus spent an Italian record 90 million euros (then $99 million) to sign

Higuain from Napoli in 2016 after he scored 36 goals in his last season to break a 66-year-old Serie A record. He scored 32 goals in his first season at Juventus.

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

ORLANDO

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 73° F/23° C

TAMPA

TONIGHT

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

Partly cloudy, a t‑storm in spots

Partly sunny, a t‑storm in spots

Periods of sun, a t‑storm in spots

Clouds and sun, a t‑storm in spots

Partly sunny

High: 89°

Low: 79°

High: 89° Low: 81°

High: 89° Low: 77°

High: 88° Low: 77°

High: 88° Low: 78°

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

AccuWeather RealFeel

98° F

84° F

98°-85° F

98°-83° F

96°-85° F

99°-87° F

High: 91° F/33° C Low: 76° F/24° C

almanac

E

W

ABACO

S

N

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 81° F/27° C

8‑16 knots

S

WEST PALM BEACH High: 90° F/32° C Low: 76° F/24° C

8‑16 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 81° F/27° C

E

W S

E

W

High: 90° F/32° C Low: 77° F/25° C

MIAMI

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

7‑14 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 2 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 88° F/31° C Low .................................................... 78° F/26° C Normal high ....................................... 89° F/31° C Normal low ........................................ 76° F/24° C Last year’s high ................................. 94° F/35° C Last year’s low ................................... 77° F/25° C Precipitation As of 2 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ............................................... 34.13” Normal year to date ................................... 20.12”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 79° F/26° C

Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2018

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 81° F/27° C

N

KEY WEST

High: 89° F/32° C Low: 78° F/26° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

S

E

W

8‑16 knots

S

8‑16 knots

ANDROS

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

12:28 a.m.

1:04 p.m.

2.8 2.8

6:50 a.m.

7:18 p.m.

0.6 0.9

Saturday

1:16 a.m.

1:58 p.m.

2.7 2.9

7:37 a.m.

8:17 p.m.

0.5 0.9

Sunday

2:10 a.m.

2:57 p.m.

2.6 3.0

8:29 a.m.

9:21 p.m.

0.5 0.9

Monday

3:10 a.m.

3:58 p.m.

2.6 3.2

9:28 a.m. 0.4 10:26 p.m. 0.8

Tuesday

4:14 a.m.

5:00 p.m.

2.7 3.4

10:29 a.m. 0.2 11:29 p.m. 0.6

Wednesday 5:18 a.m.

5:59 p.m.

2.8 3.6

11:30 a.m. 0.0 ‑‑‑‑‑ ‑‑‑‑‑

Thursday

2.9 3.8

12:28 a.m. 0.3 12:29 p.m. ‑0.1

6:19 a.m.

6:56 p.m.

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:38 a.m.

7:54 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

none 12:23 p.m.

Last

New

First

Full

Aug. 4

Aug. 11

Aug. 18

Aug. 26

CAT ISLAND

E

W

uV inDex toDay

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

N

N

The lack of a regular goalscorer is arguably Milan’s biggest weakness at the moment.

Juventus broke that record transfer fee last month by signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid for 112 million euros ($131.5 million).

“I think it was the right deal both for us and for Milan,” said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri earlier on Thursday. “Bonucci is coming back to us after a year.

“He’s an important footballer, gifted with great skill and personality, and he hasn’t changed at all in six months.

“With regards to Mattia, I’m sad, together with Romagnoli and (Daniele) Rugani, he’s part of a trio of young defenders who are the strongest there are in Italy, but that’s the transfer market and we had to let him go ...

“I thank Higuain. He has given everything in the two years he has been with us.

Milan has certainly got a great forward.”

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 80° F/27° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

N

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 81° F/27° C

S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 80° F/27° C

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marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

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PAGE 8, Friday, August 3, 2018

THE TRIBUNE

Juventus wins the MLS All-Star Game on penalties after 1-1 draw

By PAUL NEWBERRY AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Josef Martinez posed defiantly alongside the goal while pyrotechnics went off in front of the giddy Atlanta fans.

It was a familiar stance for the MLS scoring machine.

In the end, the celebration belonged to Juventus.

The Italian powerhouse prevailed on penalty kicks in the MLS All-Star Game after the match ended in a 1-1 draw Wednesday night, a bit of a letdown for the massive crowd of 72,317.

At least the A-T-L got to see its hometown favourite do what he does best.

On pace for a recordshattering season, Martinez fittingly scored the lone goal for the MLS stars.

“I feel very happy,” Martinez said through a translator.

“It was a very important game, a very important moment.”

Juventus scored on all five of its penalties, winning when Mattia De Sciglio drilled one into the upper left corner past Columbus goalkeeper Zack Steffen.

The MLS scored on its first three penalties, but Bradley Wright-Phillips of New York Red Bulls left the door open in the fourth round when he yanked his attempt off the left post.

It was the second straight year that the All-Star Game ended in a 1-1 draw and was decided by penalties.

In 2017, Real Madrid prevailed over the MLS squad 4-2 at Chicago’s Soldier Field.

“It was really a wonderful game,” Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said.

“It was good preparation.”

JUVENTUS defender Mattia De Sciglio (2) celebrates with his teammates after scoring the winning goal in penalties during the MLS All-Star soccer match against the MLS All-Stars on Wednesday night.

(AP Photo/John Bazemore) Indeed, this was nothing more than a warmup for the Italian powerhouse, which begins its pursuit of an eighth straight Serie A title in less than three weeks.

In the midst of a fourgame American tour, Juventus brought along a number of younger players who have yet to claim a spot with the senior team — including 17-year-old Nicolo Fagioli, who scored on the first penalty kick.

Notably left behind was Juventus’ prized acquisition of the offseason — fivetime FIFA Player of the

Year Cristiano Ronaldo.

The 33-year-old remained in Europe to rest and train after Portugal’s elimination from the World Cup and his pricey transfer from Real Madrid.

The MLS team faced its own challenges. There were only a couple of days to blend together an all-star squad from the 23-team league — a group that didn’t include LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The 36-year-old Swede, who played with Juventus from 2004-06 and ranks second in MLS with 15 goals, skipped

the exhibition match, saying he needed the rest after playing three league matches in a nine-day span that included his first MLS hat trick.

“Taking into account that we only had two days together, I think everyone did an excellent job,” said Atlanta United coach Tata Martino, who guided the MLS team.

This game was a showcase for Atlanta United and $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where record crowds have flocked since the club joined MLS in

2017. The team is averaging nearly 52,000 per game this season and already has drawn five largest singlegame league crowds in MLS history — each more than 70,000.

Add another attendance mark to the ever-growing list. It was the largest standalone turnout in the history of the MLS All-Star Game, surpassing the 2010 match in Houston that featured Manchester United and drew 70,728.

Juventus jumped ahead in the 21st minute. Giving the Italians far too much

room to develop the play, the MLS back line allowed Matheus Pereira to go unchallenged as he curled a left-footed pass in front of the goal. Andrea Favilli flicked it past Atlanta keeper Brad Guzan with a nifty header. The lead didn’t last long. Five minutes later, Martinez sent the Atlanta fans into a frenzy with a goal of pure persistence.

Minnesota’s Francisco Calvo got off a blistering shot in front of the net, which was brilliantly swatted away by keeper Wojciech Szczesny with a leaping save. The rebound ricocheted to the side of the net, where Montreal’s Ignacio Piatti attempted to head it in from a tough angle. The ball bounced along the line, all the way to the other side of the net, where Martinez got a head on it — just enough to slide it into the net while Juventus defender Alex Sandro flailed at it helplessly with his feet while sprawled on his back.

With 24 goals in just 23 league games, Martinez is on pace to easily eclipse the MLS scoring record of 27 goals and has essentially been conceded the Golden Boot with a third of the season remaining.

“I don’t ever think about it. That just adds pressure,” Martinez said of his chance to become the league’s most prolific scorer. “I leave that in God’s hands.

It was a thrill to score against Juventus, even though it was just an exhibition. Before coming to Atlanta, the Venezuelan played in Serie A with Torino, Juventus’ city rival.

“I scored against them with Torino,” Martinez said with a smile, “but I was offside.”